The evolution of computers and networking technologies from high-cost, low performance data processing systems to low cost, high-performance communication, problem solving and entertainment systems has provided a cost-effective and time saving means to lessen the burden of performing every day tasks such as correspondence, bill paying, shopping, budgeting, information gathering, etc. For example, a computing system interfaced to the Internet, by way of wire or wireless technology, can provide a user with a channel for nearly instantaneous access to a wealth of information and services.
As computing devices become more popular and more complex, the need for support has increased. Current computing systems may comprise a set of interacting hardware and software components. When one of these components is not functioning properly, a user may need to contact a support professional to diagnose and solve the problem. One difficulty is that the support professional is typically remote from the malfunctioning computing device; therefore, the support professional may not have access to all of the information necessary to diagnose the problem.
A prior attempt to remedy the above described situation has included a system that allows a support professional to choose a predefined data collection plan best suited for the problem to be diagnosed. That chosen predefined data collection plan and a predefined set of tools are downloaded to the malfunctioning computing device. Data is then collected according to the predefined data collection plan and uploaded back to the support professional for analysis by the support professional. This system has increased the effectiveness of the support professional. However, in some cases (e.g., situations not experienced previously by the support service), the support professional is still not able to get all of the necessary information to diagnose a particular problem because of limitations with the predefined data collection plans.